


Requiem for a Tower

by Squibbles94



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo 2020 [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Things Happen Bingo, Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, Peter Parker Gets a Hug, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Protective Tony Stark, Rated T for language, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:07:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25011379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squibbles94/pseuds/Squibbles94
Summary: He was just about to reach his final checkpoint of the level when the T.V. flickered, and Peter found himself in darkness. Peter groaned at the loss of his progress, but that only lasted a few seconds before he realized the power was out in his bedroom."F.R.I.D.A.Y?" Peter asked.There was no response.~Part of the Bad Things Happen Bingo: Home Invasion
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1810915
Comments: 17
Kudos: 265





	Requiem for a Tower

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovelies!
> 
> Welcome to the crazy train. I found the Bad Things Happen Bingo on Tumblr and I had to try it. So, here is the first one in the series. I am looking to do ALL of the prompts. So. You know. Happy reading.
> 
> Title from: Requiem for a Tower by London Music Works
> 
> Just a warning: This one is pretty tame. All of the works in the series will be tagged appropriately for warnings, so watch out for that.

Peter sat in the chair in his room, staring at the TV. He knew he wasn't supposed to be up, but he just couldn't go to sleep. There was a new video game that came out the week before, and he was almost done with it. Every now and again, Peter would look around his room and smile. There was a familiarity that sank into him when he caught sight of the rough blanket at the end of his bed. It was the same one that his parents bought him when he was young and one that he couldn't see himself parting with. It was something that soothed him as a kid, and he was surprised when he walked into the room and saw it. May must have mentioned it to Mr. Stark and set it up where it would be with him at the Tower. She knew he would miss home and would need something to tether him to the Parkers. 

The day he got his room at the Tower was something he would never forget. Peter was sure that his aunt was going to make him stop seeing Mr. Stark all together after everything that happened with the Vulture. To his surprise, all it took was a swift conversation and a tentative agreement about Peter's safety to make May agree to let him continue. There was an expectation that Mr. Stark take a more active role in Peter's life, which he was okay with.

So, when Mr. Stark let him see his room in the Tower for the first time, he almost lost his mind. While he loved it, he couldn't stop the embarrassment flooding through his cheeks over the amount of technology in his room. He knew there was nothing he could do to make Mr. Stark stop spending money on him, but usually, he tried to make it a point to at least refuse the gifts. One time, Mr. Stark wanted to buy him a needlessly expensive water bottle when his red one broke. Peter almost agreed until he saw the $100 price tag. Even though he refused, it was neatly placed on his desk with a note that said it was nonrefundable. Eventually, Peter realized it was how Mr. Stark showed him that he cared. 

It was strange how everything worked between Mr. Stark and Peter after the incident with the Vulture. Suddenly it was like Peter had value, and he thought it was because he proved himself to Mr. Stark. It was like the man saw that Peter really just wanted to make a difference and that the boy could actually take care of himself. Mr. Stark started inviting him to the Tower once a week to work on his suit, which turned into twice a week. Eventually, Peter found himself over at the Tower more often than he was home.

Peter even started spending some weeknights at the Tower when May was working late. It got to the point where the press started speculating about Peter and how he fit into Mr. Stark's life. Thankfully, Pepper put out a statement the week before announcing Peter as Mr. Stark's personal intern. That seemed to pacify the media, much to Peter's relief. 

"Peter, it is nearing three in the morning. I suggest heading to bed soon," F.R.I.D.A.Y reminded him. 

"I'm almost done, Fri. Please don't tell Mr. Stark that I'm still awake. I promise I'll go to bed after this level," Peter begged.

"Very well. I will not intentionally tell Boss, but if he asks, I will report the truth."

"Thanks, Fri. You're the best. Where is Mr. Stark, anyway?"

"He is in his lab. He is currently working on the same phone you were helping him with before he sent you to bed. Would you like me to get him for you?"

"Nope. No. I was just wondering," Peter said quickly.

There were times that Peter forgot that F.R.I.D.A.Y was nothing more than an A.I. It seemed strange that she had more personality than some people he met, but she didn't have any real emotions. It was a true testament of Mr. Stark's genius that he could code her to be almost human. 

He was just about to reach his final checkpoint of the level when the T.V. flickered, and Peter found himself in darkness. Peter groaned at the loss of his progress, but that only lasted a few seconds before he realized the power was out in his bedroom. 

"F.R.I.D.A.Y?" Peter asked. 

There was no response. 

Even if the power went out, F.R.I.D.A.Y was programmed to work on a backup system that was not powered by the building. Peter jolted to his feet as the back of his neck prickled. Something was wrong.

He paused to grab his phone from his bedside table. When he looked at the screen, he knew what he saw couldn't be right. There was no signal. No internet. No way to contact anyone. Still, he tried to dial Mr. Stark's number, hoping it would go through. When it didn't, he cursed softly, knowing there was only one option left to him.

Peter grabbed for his web-shooters, but stopped when he remembered they were still in the lab. They were going to update the fluid cartridges the next day, so he left them down there. Sighing lightly, he made his way to his door. He cracked it slightly open and strained his ears, trying to hear anything that could give him an idea of what was happening. When he heard nothing but his own shallow breaths, he slipped out of his room and set off towards the lab. He made sure he stuck to the side of the wall just in case there was someone that wasn't friendly in the building. Though how anyone would get in, he didn't know.

It was almost dark enough that Peter had to strain his eyes to make out a clear view of the hallway in front of him. Other than the quiet, the most unnerving thing was the shadows that seemed much more profound than they should be. Peter tried to make a quick inventory of who was supposed to be at the Tower and felt his stomach drop to realize that it was just Mr. Stark and him. 

Colonel Rhodes was in D.C. on an assignment, Pepper was in Japan on a business trip, and Happy was at his own apartment. Vision was in and out of the Tower, and this was one of the times he was away on a "special assignment". 

Peter made his way through the living area only to stop when he heard footsteps coming from the stairwell. He could make out ragged breaths and a heart that struggled somewhat to beat, but that didn't tell him who was coming down the stairs. So, Peter flattened himself against the wall just outside the doorway and waited to make his move. 

Only waiting a second, Peter lunged as soon as the door opened. The person tumbled to the ground with Peter pinning them down. He raised his fist to strike, but stopped when familiar brown eyes stared back at him. 

"Mr. Stark?" Peter asked, horror filling his voice. He knocked him down. Mr. Stark had a heart condition, and he was getting older, and Peter knocked him to the ground. 

"Not that this isn't fun, but can you hop off there, bud?" Mr. Stark asked. 

Peter could feel the blush that rose to his cheeks as he clambered off of his mentor and helped the man to his feet. "Sorry, Mr. Stark. I didn't mean- the lights- and F.R.I.D.A.Y-and I'm so so sorry," Peter babbled. 

Mr. Stark dug his hands into his lower back and stretched a bit before taking stock of Peter's appearance. "Were you already awake? Why aren't you in bed?" The man shook his head slightly. "Nevermind. We can talk about that later. Did you see anyone up here or anything?"

Confused, Peter said, "no. I was play-going to the bathroom when the lights went out. My senses went off, so I came to find you."

"Okay, let's get up to the lab. Just keep your eyes open and stay with me until we figure out what's happening. If you see someone, I want you to run. They might not know about... the other guy. So, don't do anything stupid. We can't risk anyone finding out about your powers. No arguments."

"But-"

"No. Arguments," Mr. Stark emphasized. 

"Okay," Peter agreed. He only felt slightly bad that he didn't know if he was going to keep the promise. He was going to try to listen. He knew Mr. Stark had good reasons for asking Peter to keep his powers a secret, but that didn’t mean he liked it.

Peter followed Mr. Stark toward the lab, making sure to stay close to the man. They made it to the floor above when Peter's Spider-Sense went crazy. Before he could mention anything, six men were surrounding them. Each one carried a gun, and Peter could see at least two of them had knives strapped to their sides. They each carried a flashlight. As they shined them toward Peter, he felt his muscles tense with anticipation. 

They all had masks on that made it hard for Peter to see what they looked like. Peter took this as a good sign. He found that if they cared about showing their faces, they probably had something to lose. Most of the time, it meant they weren't planning on killing anyone, so he counted that as a win. 

Still, the feeling of panic overrode him when he felt himself being pushed back by Mr. Stark. The man had stepped firmly in front of him and guided Peter towards a wall, effectively boxing him in. Peter wanted to protest the move, but Mr. Stark's look was enough for him to remember his promise. 

There were too many of them for Peter to take on by himself. He was sure that Mr. Stark had something he could do, but he also knew if he revealed himself as Spider-Man, there was nothing he could do to keep May safe. So, Peter stayed where he was, at least until he found an opening to take the men down. 

The man in the center of the group took a step forward. "Good evening Mr. Stark. I see that you found your friend for us." The man gestured to Peter. 

Mr. Stark took a half step back, making Peter's back hit the wall. Peter could feel the brush of Mr. Stark's shirt as he breathed. He could also hear the man's heart skip a beat at the knowledge that the men in front of them were interested in Peter. 

"What the hell do you want?" Mr. Stark growled.

The man in charge smiled, his ice-blue eyes crinkling slightly. "We are going to be working together for a bit, so you can call me Mr. Trager," the man said. "As for what I want, well, that will come in due time. What you need to understand right now, Mr. Stark, is that I have the authority to get my job done however I need. I can use any force deemed necessary. You should also know that I have never failed at my job, so it would be best if you complied."

"Yeah, that didn't really answer my question," Mr. Stark said.

Peter glanced at the other men around the room and saw that they were tense. They were scared. But the question was, were they scared of Peter and Mr. Stark, or were they scared of their leader? There was a big enough space between them where he couldn't tell for sure, but they kept throwing glances at Trager.

"Let me make this easy," Trager said. "You are going to step away from the boy, Peter, isn't it?"

Peter felt himself startle at that. How did they know his name? 

"I will admit that I was surprised to see him here. Don't interns usually go home at the end of the workday?" Trager said. "Unless...oh, Mr. Stark, you wouldn't be hiding a secret child, would you?"

Peter could feel Mr. Stark stiffen in front of him, and he couldn't stop himself from swallowing loudly. 

"It doesn't matter who he is. You're here for me. So, I'll ask again. What do you want?" Mr. Stark snapped. 

"At the risk of sounding cliche, I want something only you can give me. You are going to give me access to your A.I. I believe you call her F.R.I.D.A.Y, correct?" 

Mr. Stark let out a biting laugh. "Yeah, I don't think so."

"That wasn't a request." Trager snapped his fingers, and the other five men started towards Peter and Mr. Stark. 

Peter's Spider-Sense flared as two of the men reached for Mr. Stark, who was yelling at them. The smaller of the other three people grabbed Peter's arm. The boy shoved at him with a little more force than he probably should have, which sent the man tumbling to the ground. Without missing a beat, the other two men grabbed Peter by the arms. He fought against them, remembering to only use a fraction of his strength. 

"Get your hands off me!" Peter yelled as he twisted his body around.

The man on his left shifted slightly, releasing his arm. Before Peter could move away, there was a tight pinching on his back, and then he was on the ground writhing in pain. It felt like he couldn't control his body as his arms and legs twitched. Looking up, Peter saw the wires that led to a stun gun that the man was holding. 

"Stupid boy," the man said before yanking out the wires.

Peter felt his skin tear on his back, where the barbs were wrenched from him. He couldn't help the scream that flew from his mouth. 

"You fucking asshole," Mr. Stark yelled. "He's just a kid!"

The leader spoke to the man with the taser with a reproachful tone, "Marks, that was unnecessary." Then, he knelt down by Peter and ran his fingers through the boy's hair. 

Peter flinched at the touch and tried to turn away, but the man's grip tightened in his hair. Peter's head was wrenched back, so he was looking at Trager. 

"That was stupid of you to fight, Peter. I don't want to hurt you, but I will. So, don't do anything stupid, yeah?" Trager told him. 

"Yeah, that makes me... feel better. Nothing like a...few volts of...electricity to get me to be compliant," Peter panted. He could still feel the after-effects of the stun gun jolting through his muscles, causing his limbs to twitch. 

Trager hummed and then turned to Mr. Stark. "Alright. I know you have a lab in this Tower, so let's move there. And Stark, don't try anything, or the kid won't live to see his next birthday."

As if to make a point, someone grabbed Peter by his arm and yanked him to a standing position. Peter almost fought with the person until he felt something cold touch his throat. He realized, belatedly, that it was a knife. Peter locked eyes with Mr. Stark and felt the pure fear radiating from the man. 

Peter raised his eyebrow.  _ Should I try to get out of this? _

Mr. Stark shook his head almost imperceptibly.  _ No. It's too dangerous. _

Peter was pushed along the hallway behind Mr. Stark, who was walking between two of the men. Trager led the procession, and there were two men at the tail end, effectively boxing them in. 

They made it to the lab with minimal curse words flying from Mr. Stark, just a lot of dark glowers at their captors and worried glances towards Peter. Something that didn't sit right with Peter was how they got into the building and deactivated F.R.I.D.A.Y in the first place. They had to have been somewhat intelligent to take down the Tower's defenses. Had Mr. Stark been able to send out a signal for help to come? Was anyone aware that they were in trouble?

These thoughts came to a halt when he was pushed into a chair by the main desk. Mr. Stark was deposited in a chair across from him, where he could clearly see Peter. The relief that Peter felt about not being separated from Mr. Stark only lasted a few moments. 

"Okay, I want you to transfer all controls of F.R.I.D.A.Y to myself," Trager said. The man positioned himself just behind Peter and stood close enough to place a threatening hand on his shoulder. It was a silent warning that made Mr. Stark clench his jaw. 

"Gee, I would love to, but seeing as there's no power, you're gonna have to come back later," Mr. Stark said. 

Trager's hand tightened on Peter's shoulder, eliciting a small gasp from the boy. It was nothing that Peter couldn't handle, but he knew he was going to have a bruise later. Mr. Stark's gaze shifted to Peter before going back to Trager. 

"Like I said," Trager crooned, "I don't want to hurt the kid. But I will."

"You're not going to hurt a single hair on his head," Mr. Stark snapped. 

"That depends on you. Now, I know you have a way to grant access to a new manager without power running through the Tower. Even you aren't stupid enough to leave yourself without a way to transfer ownership. Let's face it: you almost die every day and need a backup plan in case you do."

Mr. Stark smirked at the man. "Who's to say I don't have a protocol in place already that transfers ownership in the case of my death? Why would I need to transfer it again?"

"Okay," Trager said. 

"Okay?" Mr. Stark questioned. "That's it? I expected more from you, really."

Trager snapped his fingers, and Peter's Spider-Sense blared at him. It told him to  _ move, move, move.  _ Peter leaned forward in the chair a bit, but didn't get far before the knife was returned to his throat. He felt the biting sting of the blade as it punctured his skin. Peter tried to get as far away from the knife as he could, but his head collided with the man behind him. He felt the blade dig a bit deeper into his skin, causing him to whimper. Peter didn't mean to let the sound slip, but the feeling of blood running down his neck frightened him. 

"Stop!" Mr. Stark shouted. He moved as if to stand, but the two men who flanked him pushed him back into his chair. 

Trager nodded to the man behind Peter, and the blade was tilted away from Peter's neck. The boy let out a sigh of relief. 

"Reconsidering already?" Trager asked. 

Mr. Stark swallowed hard and refused to look away from Peter. His eyes darted from the boy's neck to his eyes, trying to make a decision. Eventually, Mr. Stark's shoulders slumped as he drew in a ragged breath. 

"Fine. I need my glasses," Mr. Stark said. 

"No, Mr. Stark! Don't-" Peter was cut off by a blow to his stomach. He lurched forward, making his neck dig into the knife again. 

"Hey!" Mr. Stark warned. "I said I would do it. But before I do, let him go." 

Trager laughed. "That's not the deal, Stark. You're gonna do it, and then we will let him go. If you take too long, I know Rubio would love to have a private minute with such a lovely boy. Not gonna lie, I don't like his methods, but he is one hell of a motivator." 

"The square glasses over on the table near the back of the lab. Would you like me to get them, or do you want to send one of your lackeys?" Mr. Stark asked. 

Trager motioned for one of the men to find the glasses. "So, this is how it's going to work. You are going to transfer controls to me. Then you and the kid are going to be tied up somewhere while we do our job. After that, you can go back to your whore and your billions. Easy."

"After this is over, I'm gonna make sure you don't have the use of your legs," Mr. Stark growled. 

Trager simply smiled. The man returned with the glasses and handed them to Mr. Stark. Before he could put them on, Trager spoke up. 

"Try anything that doesn't involve my instructions, and well, you know."

"Yeah, got it," Mr. Stark said as he put on the glasses. "Alright, girl. I need you to do your magic. Have you heard everything going on so far?"

The men around the room looked slightly confused when Mr. Stark started talking to himself. Peter knew that the earpiece connected to the glasses let F.R.I.D.A.Y communicate with Mr. Stark without anyone hearing her side. Though, he wasn’t sure how Mr. Stark was communicating with F.R.I.D.A.Y. if she was disabled, he figured the man knew what he was doing. Maybe there was a backup backup system that Peter didn’t know about.

"Hey, kid," the guy behind him said. "What's he doing?"

"I honestly don't think your brain could comprehend what he's doing," Peter said without thinking. He knew he should have kept his mouth shut, but there was only so much he could take. He was trying to respect Mr. Stark's wishes that he not do anything, but Peter's Spider-Sense told him that, even if Mr. Stark did what they wanted, they weren't going to let them go. When Trager said they would let them go, there was something about the man's tone that made Peter shiver. 

"That mouth is going to get you in trouble one of these days," the man said. "I might just ask the boss if I can keep you after this."

"Alright, Fri. You ready?" Mr. Stark asked after a few minutes. 

"Mr. Stark! Stop! Don't do it!" Peter yelled, ignoring the man behind him. 

"It's okay, Pete," Mr. Stark assured him. Then he turned to Trager. "All I have to do is give the confirmation code, and it's yours. Now, I want the kid over here in my arms before I do that."

Trager started to shake his head.

"I'll throw in ten million dollars for you. No strings. Just let me have the kid," Mr. Stark pressed. 

"Trager. That might not be a bad deal," the man next to the door said.

Trager appraised Mr. Stark and then brought his attention to Peter. The seconds crawled as Trager thought through his options, and Peter could feel the tension rolling in the room. "Rubio," he said. 

Peter heard the man behind him sigh mournfully, then he pushed Peter out of the chair. Stumbling a bit, Peter hesitated where he stood as he eyed Trager. He had to pass by the man to get to Mr. Stark. 

"Well?" Trager asked. "Get over there."

Peter's movements were slow and methodical as he inched past Trager. When he was about to pass him, the man took a half step towards Peter, making him flinch. Trager let out a chuckle but didn't move farther. 

Once Peter was close to Mr. Stark, he hurried towards the man's open arms. Mr. Stark grabbed his shoulders and shifted them, so Peter was as far from danger as possible. 

"You okay, kid?" Mr. Stark asked as he tilted Peter's chin up and brushed his finger under the deep laceration that was still seeping. 

"Yeah. I'm fine. Mr. Stark," Peter lowered his voice, "you don't have to do this. I can help. Just let me-"

"Stop. You gotta trust me here, Pete. Can you do that for me? Trust that I got this?" Mr. Stark pleaded, his eyes boring into Peter's. 

Peter hadn't trusted anyone more than he trusted Mr. Stark, except May and Ben. He knew that Mr. Stark had gotten out of worse things than this, and there was no way he would let someone use his inventions for their own gain. 

Peter nodded, trying to project all the trust he had in his mentor. 

"Okay, kid. Just...stay behind me." Then, Mr. Stark whispered something so low that their captors didn't catch it. "When I say, get on the ground and cover your head."

Mr. Stark turned around, making sure Peter was out of sight before regarding their captors. "Alright. When I give the signal, my glasses are going to scan you. Don't shoot me or anything. It just needs your impression before granting you access."

Trager nodded but kept his gun in his hand. It was almost as if he was daring Peter or Mr. Stark to make a move that he didn't approve of. 

"F.R.I.D.A.Y, execute Protocol Goldilocks."

There was a deep blue beam that filtered through the room, passing over the men in masks. There was a low whining sound that came from the glasses that made Peter's senses twinge. The tone shifted slightly before the overhead lights pierced through the darkness. After being in the dark for so long, the brightness overwhelmed Peter's senses, sending stabbing pain through his skull. His eyes snapped shut as he heard Mr. Stark yell at him. 

"Now, kid!" 

Thankfully, Peter's heightened reflexes took over. He slammed into the floor, narrowly avoiding smacking his chin on the hard concrete. He was vaguely aware of the sounds of men screaming around him and the pressure of Mr. Stark holding him to the ground. The man's hands were wrapped securely over Peter's ears. He could feel the breaths coming from Mr. Stark as the man lay over him protectively. 

As quickly as the chaos erupted, the room descended into an eerie silence. 

Peter lifted his head slightly and peeked around the room. He saw the men in masks in heaps on the ground. They weren't moving. 

"Mr.-Mr. Stark? What did you-what?" he stammered. 

Mr. Stark was already on his feet and offered a hand to Peter. "Just a prototype I've been working on. Don't worry, they're still alive, unfortunately."

The men's arms and legs were stuck at odd angles, almost as if they were frozen in place. One of them had his arm slightly raised, his hand bent at an unnatural angle. Trager was lying prone on the ground, his fingers still wrapped around the gun. Peter noticed they were still looking around the room, their eyes shining with unadulterated fear. 

"What did you do to them?" Peter asked, being sure to stay away from the frozen figures. 

"Remember when I was telling you about how I helped develop a paralyzing device years ago?"

Peter nodded. 

"Well, I figured it needed an upgrade. It was too dangerous to be used in massive areas, so I made some modifications. It takes an imprint of the targets and uses a mix of radio waves and strobing effects to confuse the neurons in the brain. It adapts it to each person's genetic makeup. I wasn't really sure how it would affect you, so I made sure your eyes and ears were covered. So, that's a win, I guess."

Peter didn't know how he felt about that. "I thought you didn't make weapons anymore."

Mr. Stark turned to him. "They'll be fine. It will wear off in a few hours, and their hearts won't stop beating or anything. Perfectly non-lethal."

There was a soft humming noise as the lab started whirring to life. Then, F.R.I.D.A.Y called from the ceiling. "Boss, most functions have been restored. The virus uploaded to my servers has been quarantined in a file for you to view later. Also, the code that inhibited cell service has been deactivated. Might I remind you that I told you this could happen." 

"Seriously? We've been through a trauma, and you're gonna sit there and say 'I told you so'?" Mr. Stark snapped. 

"Factually, that is correct. I also feel the need to remind you that Ms. Potts is on her way home."

"Yeah, thanks. Do me a favor and see where Rhodey's at, would you?" 

Before F.R.I.D.A.Y could reply, the window shattered behind them, revealing the War Machine armor. It landed with a metallic thud that reverberated through the room. The suit was poised to attack, the arms held up in a sweeping gesture. 

A snort came from behind Peter. "Yep. A little late for the rescue, there Rhodey," Tony said. 

Lifting his faceplate, Rhodey looked around the room, baffled. "What the hell did you do to them? I thought you guys were in trouble."

"I had it covered."

"Tony, I left a meeting because F.R.I.D.A.Y said you were about to die."

"She said what?"

F.R.I.D.A.Y decided to interject, "I implied that you were in over your head."

"Thanks for the confidence."

"I'll ask again, what the hell happened to them?" Rhodey sounded impatient. He regarded the men for a moment. "Tony...you didn't."

"They were threatening the kid. Look at his neck. I couldn't let that slide, Honeybear," Tony said. "Now, are you going to just stand there, or are you going to call in someone to come get these assholes?"

Rhodey turned to Peter. "You okay, kid?"

"Yeah, thanks, Mr. Rhodes." 

Mr. Stark called to Peter from the doorway. "Pete, come on. Let's go clean that cut up and get you out of here."

Peter gingerly stepped around the limp bodies, making sure not to get too close just in case they could move. When he reached Mr. Stark, the man put his arm around Peter's shoulders and guided him downstairs. 

As they walked, Peter couldn't help his rambling. "Mr. Stark, what happened up there? How did you get F.R.I.D.A.Y to start working again? How did they hack her in the first place? How did they get in? Why couldn't I just knock them out as Spider-Man? How did Rhodey know that we were in trouble? When-"

"Jeez, Pete, take a breath," Mr. Stark said, guiding Peter towards the couch. He gently pushed Peter into the cushions and went to retrieve the first aid kit. As he was walking out, Peter heard him say, “Fri, talk to me, girl.”

While Peter waited, he took an inventory of himself. He could feel the drying blood on his neck that pulled uncomfortably on his skin when he moved. He could also feel the bruises that formed on his stomach from the punch. All in all, they were minor injuries that he wasn't worried about. Thankfully, Mr. Stark didn't have any injuries that Peter saw. 

"Alright, kid. Let me clean you up," Mr. Stark said as he perched on the coffee table in front of Peter. 

"It's fine, Mr. Stark. It'll heal in a few minutes. It's not that bad."

"It still needs to be clean. Just...let me do this." Mr. Stark's eyes pleaded with Peter's. There was a vulnerability that only showed itself when Mr. Stark was too tired to be as guarded as he usually was or when Peter was hurt.

"Mr. Stark," Peter murmured. "I'm okay. They didn't hurt me that bad."

Mr. Stark took a large breath. "They...they put a fucking  _ knife  _ to your throat, Pete. It doesn't matter if you're enhanced. If that man decided to, he could have...you could have died. And it would have been my fault. So, do me a favor and sit there while I clean you up a bit."

Peter grabbed Mr. Stark's wrist as he was about to wipe the blood off his neck. "It wasn't your fault, Mr. Stark. You didn't know. If anything, I should have Spider-Manned my way out."

"No. You were right to listen to me about that. I had F.R.I.D.A.Y do some digging while she was bringing everything back online from the emergency server. Trager works for a specialized group that hunts down enhanced individuals. They were poking around in the files where I keep notes on potential assets to the team when they were trying to hack her last week before she shut them out. I didn't think they'd try again, and I had F.R.I.D.A.Y searching for them. Hell, the only reason I know it was the same people was their signature written in the code."

"I should have done more," Peter insisted. "I would have been fine."

"If you did, they would have killed you," Mr. Stark snapped. "They would have killed you before I could have stopped them." 

Peter looked at Mr. Stark's hands and saw that they were shaking. He knew the man was scared, but he didn't realize how terrified he was. Without thinking about it, Peter lunged forward and wrapped his arms around his mentor's waist. He hid his face in the man's chest, relishing the way he could hear his heartbeat. 

"I'm okay, Mr. Stark. It's okay," Peter whispered. 

Mr. Stark wrapped his arms around the boy, gripping him impossibly close. Peter could feel the man bury his face in his hair as he tried to slow his breathing. 

"I'm okay," Peter insisted again.

"I'll do better, kid. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you," Mr. Stark promised. 

"I know." 

And he did. He knew that Mr. Stark would put five more protocols in place for sending out emergency signals if there was even a blip in the power grid. He knew Mr. Stark was thinking up ideas for his Spider-Man suit. Something that would do scans of pedestrians as Peter swung past, just to make sure they weren't a danger to him. Peter knew the man would hoover in his bedroom as he slept to make sure he was okay. He knew Mr. Stark would deny falling asleep in the desk chair because he was too afraid to leave Peter alone.

He knew that he was lucky to have Mr. Stark in his life. 

He knew he was loved. 

And Peter could live with that. 


End file.
